How much protein per day? The chart by body weight and profile

Protein needs are expressed in grams per kilo of body weight per day, so the maths is simple: multiply your weight by the right factor. The hard part is choosing that factor, because there are two families of numbers and they answer different questions.

The first is the physiological minimum: 0.83 g/kg according to the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA), a value set to cover the needs of almost all healthy adults. It keeps you out of deficiency, nothing more. The second is the useful range for a specific goal (keeping muscle as you age, building it, losing fat), which studies place between 1.2 and 2 g/kg. The chart below gives both, from 50 to 110 kg. For what protein does in the body, protein quality and common myths, see our complete guide to protein.

Weight is only part of the story: age, physical activity and your goal all move the target. Here are the best-supported ranges, with the example of a 70 kg adult and the body or study behind each figure.

On January 7, 2026, the US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the Department of Agriculture (USDA) released the Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2025–2030. The document replaces the plate with an inverted pyramid: the wide top brings together protein, dairy and healthy fats alongside vegetables and fruits, while whole grains sit at the narrow tip. It tells Americans to “prioritize protein foods at every meal” and sets a goal of 1.2 to 1.6 g per kilo per day, adjusted to individual calorie needs. The change does not touch the US Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA), which remains 0.8 g/kg.

No European authority has followed. EFSA keeps 0.83 g/kg for all adults, older adults included, and the scientific committee of Spain's food safety agency AESAN adopted EFSA's values for macronutrients. France's ANSES also stays at 0.83 g/kg and expresses it as a share of energy: 10 to 20% of calories. The Nordic Nutrition Recommendations 2023, used by Norway among others, say the same and only go up to about 1.2 g/kg for planning the meals of people over 70. In Germany, the DGE stays at 0.8 g/kg before age 65.

Hitting 80 or 110 g a day feels abstract until you turn it into meals. A chicken breast already covers more than a third, but pulses, tofu and dairy do the job very well too. The values below come from the French Ciqual food composition table (ANSES), applied to everyday portions.

Your daily total matters most, but how you spread it is not neutral. Muscle responds to each protein intake with a burst of synthesis, and that response is clearly stronger when the meal brings enough. The International Society of Sports Nutrition (ISSN) recommends 0.25 g/kg per serving, or 20 to 40 g, every 3 to 4 hours. Older adults need a larger dose: about 0.4 g/kg per meal in the work of Moore and colleagues, compared with 0.24 g/kg in young adults.

Yet a typical day often does the opposite: a breakfast under 10 g (toast and coffee), a decent lunch and a very protein-heavy dinner. Boosting breakfast is the simplest way to add 15 to 20 g without changing anything else. Here is a day at about 110 g, for a 70 kg person aiming for 1.6 g/kg.

When you eat less, your body draws on its fat stores, but also on its muscle. Protein acts as a safety net here. A 2015 review in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition by eight researchers, including Heather Leidy and Arne Astrup, concluded that diets providing 1.2 to 1.6 g/kg, ideally with 25 to 30 g per meal, improve appetite, weight control and several cardiometabolic markers. Meta-analyses of short trials show more fat loss and better preservation of lean mass than with lower-protein diets.

It pays to keep your feet on the ground, though. The filling effect is real but modest: people feel fuller after a protein-rich meal, without eating clearly less at the next one in the trials. The DGE also notes that the advantage of a high-protein diet on the scales, clear over three to six months, fades over time. Protein does not make you lose weight on its own: it makes a calorie deficit more comfortable and safer for your muscles.

If you lift weights while cutting, the ISSN mentions higher intakes, 2.3 to 3.1 g/kg, to keep as much muscle as possible in trained lifters. These are special cases; for the vast majority, 1.2 to 1.6 g/kg calculated on a sensible body weight is enough.

No authority has set an upper limit. EFSA and ANSES both consider the data insufficient to define a safe upper intake. EFSA does state, however, that intakes up to twice its reference, about 1.7 g/kg, are regularly eaten by active, healthy adults in Europe and are considered safe. The DGE adds that intakes three to four times the reference have been observed without symptoms over long periods, while noting, as the WHO does, that this does not prove they are risk-free.

In practice, beyond about 1.6 g/kg, extra protein no longer builds measurable muscle, but it still brings 4 kcal per gram. The real risk lies elsewhere: a menu built around shakes and bars leaves less room for fibre, fruit and vegetables, and many high-protein products are ultra-processed foods sold at a premium. If your intake is high, drink enough: the urea produced when protein is broken down leaves the body in urine.

One important exception: with chronic kidney disease, your protein intake should be decided with your doctor, who may in fact lower it. The PROT-AGE group makes the same point for older adults whose kidney function is severely reduced.

The European reference is 0.83 g of protein per kilo per day, about 58 g for a 70 kg adult, and it covers the needs of most sedentary adults. The new US guidelines from January 2026 aim higher, at 1.2 to 1.6 g/kg, a range that also matches what helps you lose weight while keeping your muscle. For strength training, gains level off around 1.6 g/kg, and after 65 it is wise to aim for at least 1 g/kg. Spread your total over three or four meals of 25 to 40 g, starting with breakfast, and calculate on a sensible weight if you are overweight. If you have kidney disease, are pregnant or have a specific medical situation, have your target checked by a doctor or dietitian.